Sapiens, Ludens, Faber

Dr Abe V Rotor


Fr Miguel de Benavides, founder of the University of Santo Tomas, Manila. The University celebrates its quadricentennial this year. (1611-2011)
Knocking on the door in midnight air,
The still mind rouses to a dream,
Vague it may seem but rainbow clear,
Sans its ends, and floating like a spell,
And how it makes a cathedral in the sky,
Is God's glory, the greatest story to tell.

Many ideas bloom or die in the desert air,
In halls of fame and dust-filled books.
Great is the mind, though less the skill
Of the finest art, game and craft of old,
They flourish in comfort and adornment,
Tested beyond measure of gold.

An idea into wisdom unfolds the genius
Of man’s yearning to think and create
In work or play, in tempest or in peace;
For nothing’s impossible under the sun.
Homo sapiens, ludens, faber, in one -
Man lives on even after he’s gone.


x x x